Wrap: Western Water, Federal Budget, UC Santa Cruz Agroecology

Good morning! It’s going to be a busy week. A few things to highlight:

ICYMI – A thoughtful piece about water and public art. Despite a persistent drought, many Californians take water for granted. A wet winter (at least in much of the state) has eased concerns somewhat, but the need to conserve water and improve water quality remains.

This interesting post by Faith Kearns is about FOG waste (fats, oils and greases), which “can lead to problems in local sewer systems and beyond.” A public art installation is making visible the connection between household wastewater and city infrastructure, she shares. The project was developed by UC Davis faculty Claire Napawan, Department of Human Ecology, and Brett Snyder, Department of Design.

Bonus: I’m loving Water Deeply(website and Twitter). Providing well-researched and incredibly well-written articles on water/environment in the American West. #mustread #goodread It’s part of the News Deeply platform.

Breaking News: Federal Budget

The proposed federal 2018 budget is slated for release tomorrow. Advance reports indicate that the budget proposes massive cuts to a number of federal programs, including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as “food stamps”). In addition, farm subsidies are targeted, Andrew Taylor reports for the Associated Press.

The budget proposal is likely to meet stiff resistance from both sides of the aisle.

On cuts to the USDA and farm programs, a quote from Taylor’s piece:

“We think it’s wrongheaded,” said Rep. Mike Conaway, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, when asked about looming cuts to farm programs. “Production agriculture is in the worst slump since the depression – 50 percent drop in the net income for producers. They need this safety net,” said Conaway, R-Texas.

Fifty years ago, a movement started at the UC Santa Cruz campus. The newly opened campus (1965) reflected the cultural impulses of the 1960s and focused on fostering creativity through experiential learning. Experiential learning became key to what has become a world-renowned knowledge and training hub for sustainable and organic food production – the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.

According to Daniel Press, executive director of UC Santa Cruz’ Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CAFS), what happened was not part of the master plan; Santa Cruz, after all, was not an official “agriculture” campus within the UC system. (Note: the “official” agricultural campuses under the land-grant mission are Berkeley, Davis and Riverside, although every UC campus has food systems and/or agricultural efforts, including gardens, farms, outreach efforts, courses, etc. Learn more about those efforts, supported by UC’s Global Food Initiative). #GlobalFood

The rest is history. As CAFS celebrates its 50th anniversary, following are a handful of pieces to share this very important story, through interviews and profiles of those who have been part of it:

For more than three decades, Mark Lipson has been intimately involved with the organic movement from the local to national level, as an organic producer, a researcher and an advocate. He has been extremely influential in shaping state and national policy surrounding organics, including certification standards.

“Sustainable agriculture is more than about cultivating crops. It is also about creating a healthy and just food system that is equitable, transparent, diverse and accessible.

Oran Hesterman, founder of Fair Food Network, is committed to these principles. A UC Davis alum, Hesterman was also one of the original “home farmers” to live and work at the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden in the early 1970s, when organic farming was just taking root.”

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Published

May 22, 2017 at 10:18 am

by Rose Hayden-Smith

About the Author

Rose Hayden-Smith, PhD, is a UC academic and author, writing as the UC Food Observer. Hayden-Smith has worked as a 4-H youth, family and community development and Master Gardener advisor. She also led UC ANR’s sustainable food systems initiative. A trained U.S. historian, her research focuses on food policy, and the role of gardens in community food security.